Common Checkered Skipper

The skipper members of this Order of insects are generally small and characterized by fast flight. Their wing venation and widely separated, curve-tipped antennae, also distinguish this group. Skippers are divided into giant skipper, grass skipper, shrub skipper and mimic skipper families.

The wing patternation of the common checkered skipper varies considerably. This specimen from San Francisco has blue-gray hairs on the thorax. This species represents the most common skipper in the United States. Males aggressively patrol their territory by darting around and investigate anything that enters its domain. Green eggs turn to a cream color just prior to hatching. Their caterpillars feed mainly on wild mallows and live in nests made of rolled leaves.